The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-03-09
TERRIBLE CASUALTY.
Fatal and Destructive Fire in
New York.
t. PATRICK's CHURCH FUND.
The Revolt -An Anomaly Pools
Broken-Here's a How Dye
Do-Other Notes
Terrible Casualty a..


tailor establishment of "Nicol, the
tailor on the Bowery, was. destroyed
by fire this morning. The fire caused
blockade on Third Avenue elevated
road which extended far up above
Fourteenth Street. The conductor on
the train which was blocked few hun
dred feet from Fourteenth Street sta
tion,. notified his passengers that they
could leave the train and walk over
narrow plank along side of the track,
and thus make their way to the station.
num9er availed themselves of the
dangerous privilege and an awful acct
dent vas the result. An insane panic
was started on the narrow walk far
above the street, and q number of per
sons were flung to the paVemen below.
1t is stated that seven were killed and
many injured.
The official report of the accident
shows that three persons were killed,
and seven others badly injured. It ap-
pears that a number of passengers left
one of the trains at Seventeenth Street,
and started to walk along the narrow
foot path at the side of the track to the
station at Fourteenth Street; while
doing so the blockade was relieved and
trains began to start; the motion shook
the pathway to such an extent that
number of passengers were thrown
down to the street below, with the re-
suit as stated.
The narrow platform from which the
people fell, was about two and half
feet wide. 1t is raised by trackmen
when on duty, and above Fourteenth
Street is not provided with hand rails.
When the passengers left the blocked
cars and took to the platform, the gate
men of the trains offered no objection,
as they ought to have done. A long
line of men was picking It's way slowly,
when suddenly train ahead started
up and began to move; the next one
followed suit, and successive series of
jerks went along the line up TO the last
train. Each shook the track with a
convulsive movement that frightened
those in front, and made them hurry
ahead rapidly to reach the station safely.
Those behind saw they were scared and
grew nervous in turn. Some were
looking anxiously around for support,
and bunch of a dozen walking in
single file just below Fifteenth Street,
in sight of the platform. scurried nerv-
ously forward to catch the gate of the
nearest car, when the train of which it
was part suddenly started ahead
and nearly shook the foremost one off
his feet. Shrinking back in fright from
the moving wheels he crowded against
the man behind him on the very edge
of the narrow plank walk from below
where the crowd was watching the pro-
gress of the promenaders in mid-air. A
shout OF warning arose, but too late.
The man seized wildly at his neighbor
in terror of his life; the latter drew
back, but the crowd behind was press
ing on, and the train was moving on
the right. Those farther behind saw
a momentary punching of the
crowd in front, and then one, two
half dozen were seen falling
over the edge into the street below from
which arose frightened wall that
turned into shrieks of terror and |
despair as man after man struck the |
pavement and lay mangled and bleed |
ing. Then followed a wild rush IN the !
street and wilder and more desper-
ate one above in the air. The venture |
some pedestrians caught at the gates of |
the train as it passed and chung with |
grip OF despair. 1t pulled up and was
stopped almost Immediately. The |
~
pulled in and rom made for others. |
In two minutes the plank walk was
clear. Down below in the street scene
OF horror was in progress. The men
had fallen in the middle of the street on |
the surface car track. In CHASTITY |
heap they lay, some motionl ess |
some moaning family and one Shrek |
ing wildly in pain and terror. A crowd |
of thousands VINO had watched the !
blockade from below, surged around |
and closed in upon the scene. Ten had |
fallen from the track all told, that is, |
ten were found dead or injured. If any |
unhurt they were not counted. !
Three were at the bottom of the heap
where they had fallen head first, and |
had smashed in their skulls, one and all |
Of them. The dead wagon was called, |
and they were taken to the morgue.
Several were more or less desperately |
injured, and some of them will die.